What do you think?
Rate this book
Iron Man: Armor Wars
Iron Man: Armor Wars
Millionaire industrialist Tony Stark is an inventive genius who has dedicated all of his enormous financial and intellectual resources to a single guiding the creation of technology for the betterment of humanity. Stark's greatest creation is a modern-day a suit of form-fitting, strength-enhancing, steel-mesh armor he dons to become the living symbol of his ideals, the Invincible Iron Man! But when Stark discovers that the same technology he used to create the Iron Man armor - technology so secret he didn't even dare patent it - is now in the hands of several deadly super-villains, he feels responsible for the evil they have done with the high-tech tools he unwittingly provided. In the face of objections from his government, friends, colleagues and fellow super heroes, Stark swears to use the power of Iron Man to bring the evil to an end - and to take back what's his. The Beatle, Stilt Man, the Controller, Stingray, the Mandroids, the Guardsmen and Firepower don't know it yet, but they've got a problem. The world's most powerful force for good isn't playing by the rules anymore. And he's coming for them Collects Iron Man #225-232.
208 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1990
30 people are currently reading
654 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews
February 6, 2020
Long ago, before the interwebz, the Stan Lee reader acquisition philosophy was that if a reader picked up a comic for the first time then he/she should be able to jump in anywhere with some sort of exposition or footnotes or something and know what the hell is going on in his/her funny book.
Well f**k that, newbs!!
Here, the modern reader pays a heavy price by reading 10 expository panels every issue of Tony Stark talking to himself, deep in thought, talking in his sleep while the hooker he shacked up (who in reality works for A.I.M. or M.O.D.O.K. or the Commies and is busy taking notes), talking to his pal Rhodey over brioche and a good white wine, or goosing Mrs. Arbogast in mid-sentence.
So this tome is, as the title states, Armor Wars, a Shell-Head classic, and here’s a little exposition (heh) on what it’s about: The Spymaster stole Stark armor tech and sold it to Justin Hammer a rival of Tony Stark. Hammer, because he’s a complete and utter douche, sold it to assorted ne’er do wells and people got hurt. Some died.
So Tony has a case of the guilts and because he’s sober now, he can’t drink over it but that doesn’t prevent him from getting a Jheri Curl doo…
…and track down everyone, friend or foe, who have the Stark tech and shut their asses down.
Nobody cares if he goes after Stilt Man or The Beetle, but when he starts chasing down some good guys, people sit up and grumble and stuff.
Who the hell is Stingray?
That’s a rhetorical question, kids. He was like the Rima, the Jungle Girl or Apache Chief of the Avengers.
The Avengers question his sanity and sobriety.
He even goes up against the-dude-formerly-known-as-Captain-America, who’s just happens to be protecting stuff owned by THE MAN.
One dead iron clad Russkie later, the crap hits the international fan of public opinion quickly and Stark, in an effort to distance himself from himself (Wait…What?), gives Iron Man the bums rush.
Take this job and shove it, Stark.
And, “I am not , Iron Man.”
The epilogue here was drawn by Barry Windsor-Smith and it’s all about guilt and what happens if you eat a McRib sandwich right before you go to sleep.
Bottom Line : This was a great idea that suffers from a dated treatment. Kind of like a Netflix Marvel show: lots of talking, a little punching or in this case repulsor rays to the dome. It’s three stars, but only because my hips didn’t ache when I got out of bed this morning.
A nice birthday gift for that old uncle you only see at holidays or kids who dressed up as Iron Man for Halloween.
Well f**k that, newbs!!
Here, the modern reader pays a heavy price by reading 10 expository panels every issue of Tony Stark talking to himself, deep in thought, talking in his sleep while the hooker he shacked up (who in reality works for A.I.M. or M.O.D.O.K. or the Commies and is busy taking notes), talking to his pal Rhodey over brioche and a good white wine, or goosing Mrs. Arbogast in mid-sentence.
So this tome is, as the title states, Armor Wars, a Shell-Head classic, and here’s a little exposition (heh) on what it’s about: The Spymaster stole Stark armor tech and sold it to Justin Hammer a rival of Tony Stark. Hammer, because he’s a complete and utter douche, sold it to assorted ne’er do wells and people got hurt. Some died.
So Tony has a case of the guilts and because he’s sober now, he can’t drink over it but that doesn’t prevent him from getting a Jheri Curl doo…
…and track down everyone, friend or foe, who have the Stark tech and shut their asses down.
Nobody cares if he goes after Stilt Man or The Beetle, but when he starts chasing down some good guys, people sit up and grumble and stuff.
Who the hell is Stingray?
That’s a rhetorical question, kids. He was like the Rima, the Jungle Girl or Apache Chief of the Avengers.
The Avengers question his sanity and sobriety.
He even goes up against the-dude-formerly-known-as-Captain-America, who’s just happens to be protecting stuff owned by THE MAN.
One dead iron clad Russkie later, the crap hits the international fan of public opinion quickly and Stark, in an effort to distance himself from himself (Wait…What?), gives Iron Man the bums rush.
Take this job and shove it, Stark.
And, “I am not , Iron Man.”
The epilogue here was drawn by Barry Windsor-Smith and it’s all about guilt and what happens if you eat a McRib sandwich right before you go to sleep.
Bottom Line : This was a great idea that suffers from a dated treatment. Kind of like a Netflix Marvel show: lots of talking, a little punching or in this case repulsor rays to the dome. It’s three stars, but only because my hips didn’t ache when I got out of bed this morning.
A nice birthday gift for that old uncle you only see at holidays or kids who dressed up as Iron Man for Halloween.
March 24, 2025
The epilogue issue by BWS is great. The rest was dreadful. Overly verbose for such a simple story of Stark tracking down people that may be using his tech. It should have been just epic battles. It’s so silly but seems to take it all so seriously.
April 1, 2021
Iron Man: Armor Wars is unnecessarily wordy and expository, but it is still an interesting story dealing with guilt and paranoia, that actually builds up Tony Stark's character.
January 19, 2019
Okay read....hated the beginning of this and thought it was boring.
March 23, 2016
Armor Wars (cutely called "Stark Wars" inside the issues) is an eight issue sequence of Iron Man from 1987-88 that I've seen mentioned as an essential Iron Man story. Tony Stark discovers that due to a surveillance bug placed by an agent of Justin Hammer, a piece of the Iron Man suit technology has been stolen and used in several villains' metal suits. Tony feels responsible for the destruction they caused and takes it upon himself to personally go destroy all of the tech that he didn't sanction.
The problem I almost immediately had was that Tony was actually surprised to see some of his amazing tech out in the wild, especially considering how many armored people that he knew about and went after in quick succession. I realize that the story wouldn't have worked as a big bang otherwise, but it's interesting that it felt like the whole industrial espionage question had been ignored as long as it had.
I also didn't think that Tony's reasoning and justification for going rogue was especially solid. Going after villians? Cool, it's what Iron Man does, go do that. But then he starts going after U.S. government employees, which Captain America rightfully has a problem with. (This was an interesting contrast to their positions in Civil War.) The other Avengers disowned him, too. Tony couldn't have worked with SHIELD and the government to lease his tech and make its use legal? He did put his lawyers on the case, but it just wasn't fast enough for Tony. So, lesson learned: If the legal channels are taking too long, feel justified in doing illegal things. Granted, lives were possibly at stake, but it still seemed like he jumped to an extreme conclusion.
I'm also not clear why he feels quite as responsible and guilty as he does, as shown by the excellent final issue. Some guilt makes sense, sure; I'd feel pretty bad for having lax security in my laboratory, too. But technology is a tool, and tools are morality-neutral. It's all in how it's used, which logically means Tony should go after the people misusing them. Maybe don't go a little nuts and start attacking everyone who happens to be using it?
All that said, I definitely thought about these issues and that's the sign of an interesting story. I'd really like to see this idea of stolen technology revisited in a modern day context, if it hasn't been already. (It sounds like this might be the basis for the Believe volume, except with Extremis instead of full Iron Man suits.)
The problem I almost immediately had was that Tony was actually surprised to see some of his amazing tech out in the wild, especially considering how many armored people that he knew about and went after in quick succession. I realize that the story wouldn't have worked as a big bang otherwise, but it's interesting that it felt like the whole industrial espionage question had been ignored as long as it had.
I also didn't think that Tony's reasoning and justification for going rogue was especially solid. Going after villians? Cool, it's what Iron Man does, go do that. But then he starts going after U.S. government employees, which Captain America rightfully has a problem with. (This was an interesting contrast to their positions in Civil War.) The other Avengers disowned him, too. Tony couldn't have worked with SHIELD and the government to lease his tech and make its use legal? He did put his lawyers on the case, but it just wasn't fast enough for Tony. So, lesson learned: If the legal channels are taking too long, feel justified in doing illegal things. Granted, lives were possibly at stake, but it still seemed like he jumped to an extreme conclusion.
I'm also not clear why he feels quite as responsible and guilty as he does, as shown by the excellent final issue. Some guilt makes sense, sure; I'd feel pretty bad for having lax security in my laboratory, too. But technology is a tool, and tools are morality-neutral. It's all in how it's used, which logically means Tony should go after the people misusing them. Maybe don't go a little nuts and start attacking everyone who happens to be using it?
All that said, I definitely thought about these issues and that's the sign of an interesting story. I'd really like to see this idea of stolen technology revisited in a modern day context, if it hasn't been already. (It sounds like this might be the basis for the Believe volume, except with Extremis instead of full Iron Man suits.)
November 21, 2012
How exactly did Iron Man survive Dave Michelinie's late 80's run without being cancelled? It is, with the exception of the recent work on the book by Matt Fraction, the most god-awful and boring trash the series ever had to offer.
Here we just get more of the same from 'Prologue', nothing spectacular, no great villain, no great imagination, no devilish machinations. For a good 3/4 of the book, we get terrible exposition and a Tony Stark inner monologue about how 'woe is me'. Damned terrible until the very last issue, which Barry Windsor-Smith helped out with.
Writing: F
Art: B
Here we just get more of the same from 'Prologue', nothing spectacular, no great villain, no great imagination, no devilish machinations. For a good 3/4 of the book, we get terrible exposition and a Tony Stark inner monologue about how 'woe is me'. Damned terrible until the very last issue, which Barry Windsor-Smith helped out with.
Writing: F
Art: B
June 27, 2010
3.0 stars. I read these issues when they originally came out so it has been a while. I remember really liking the idea of Tony Stark taking responsibility for the fact that his Iron Man technology was being used too often by nefarious individuals and going on a one man crusade to "repossess" the tech from the people using it. Good storyline and decent writing.
March 10, 2016
Lo mejor que he leído de Iron Man, hasta hoy. Pese al peinado lolailo ochentero.
December 21, 2011
Iron Man
Armor Wars
David Michelinie wrote it
Bob Layton and Mark Bright drew it.
This book is not very good. The plot is ok: Iron Man's tech is stolen and sold to criminals, he has to get it all back or destroy it. But Michelinie is an awful script writer. His characters are wooden, they make inexplicable decisions and their dialogue is clunky and unnatural. In the forward he admits that the overall plot of the story wasn't even his idea, that credit goes to one of the editors.
Layton and Bright's art is not much better. Even Marvel fanatics like myself will find only a little enjoyment here. The diverse cast of villains and battles are fun in a cheesy nostalgic sort of way. And the battle between Captain America and Iron Man is interesting in light of the 2006 event "Civil War" which pitted the two against each other. Especially since Armor Wars is a bit of a role reversal in which Stark is fighting against the government and Cap is resisting him.
The one saving grace is the last Chapter (Iron Man issue 232) written and drawn by the incomparable Barry Windsor Smith. The greatness of BWS casts the crap that came before it in even harsher light. But even this one chapter cannot save the book, especially since Michelinie takes over scripting the last page in an effort to tie it in to the story that came before. His heavy hand can ruin even the greatness of BWS: "Guess my subconscious was smarter than I was. It knows I can NEVER destroy the beast," That would be the beast inside, GUILT. ugh.
Buy issue 232 on its own ($3.70) at mycomicshop.com, or borrow Armor Wars from the Library if you must.
Armor Wars
David Michelinie wrote it
Bob Layton and Mark Bright drew it.
This book is not very good. The plot is ok: Iron Man's tech is stolen and sold to criminals, he has to get it all back or destroy it. But Michelinie is an awful script writer. His characters are wooden, they make inexplicable decisions and their dialogue is clunky and unnatural. In the forward he admits that the overall plot of the story wasn't even his idea, that credit goes to one of the editors.
Layton and Bright's art is not much better. Even Marvel fanatics like myself will find only a little enjoyment here. The diverse cast of villains and battles are fun in a cheesy nostalgic sort of way. And the battle between Captain America and Iron Man is interesting in light of the 2006 event "Civil War" which pitted the two against each other. Especially since Armor Wars is a bit of a role reversal in which Stark is fighting against the government and Cap is resisting him.
The one saving grace is the last Chapter (Iron Man issue 232) written and drawn by the incomparable Barry Windsor Smith. The greatness of BWS casts the crap that came before it in even harsher light. But even this one chapter cannot save the book, especially since Michelinie takes over scripting the last page in an effort to tie it in to the story that came before. His heavy hand can ruin even the greatness of BWS: "Guess my subconscious was smarter than I was. It knows I can NEVER destroy the beast," That would be the beast inside, GUILT. ugh.
Buy issue 232 on its own ($3.70) at mycomicshop.com, or borrow Armor Wars from the Library if you must.
February 16, 2010
This is pure, classic Iron Man -- and pure, classic Irondickery. It's fascinating to watch Tony Stark pursue a misguided quest with such intensity, knocking aside friends and causing more harm than good. He's trying to recover his armor so that no one can be hurt by his technology, but he hurts -- even kills -- others to accomplish that. And the writing doesn't shy away from his hypocrisy, or how pathetic his self-pitying "this is so HARD for me!" is. Yet, in the end, you can't help but like Tony, awful and misguided though he may be. The fight between him and Steve Rogers alone is worth the price of admission, and I recommend this to all Iron Man fans.
July 18, 2018
Oh, 1980s Marvel... what a time!
Still, I'm glad I got around to reading the famous "Armor Wars" storyline that clearly influenced the MCU version of Old Shellhead, though thank the Maker that the Marvel Studios folks and RDJ ditched Tony's appalling Jerry-curl 'do.
Look, there's even the beginnings of what would decades-later become Civil War!
My main takeaway was a reminder of just how wordy these comics used to be, each issue felt like a novella as exposition and internal monologuing from Tony and Co. made for some serious "Tell Don't Show", but it was still enjoyable and I would cautiously recommend it to big Iron Man fans, be they of the mag or movie variety.
Still, I'm glad I got around to reading the famous "Armor Wars" storyline that clearly influenced the MCU version of Old Shellhead, though thank the Maker that the Marvel Studios folks and RDJ ditched Tony's appalling Jerry-curl 'do.
Look, there's even the beginnings of what would decades-later become Civil War!
My main takeaway was a reminder of just how wordy these comics used to be, each issue felt like a novella as exposition and internal monologuing from Tony and Co. made for some serious "Tell Don't Show", but it was still enjoyable and I would cautiously recommend it to big Iron Man fans, be they of the mag or movie variety.
December 30, 2022
I'm not a particular Iron Man fan, and I bought this volume at a low price because I like reading source material for MCU projects before release. That being said, this was a fun 80's story. Plenty of Marvel-ous political intrigue and moral hand-wringing. I enjoyed it.
April 11, 2021
Don’t believe the hype.
Armor Wars is a whole lot more like Armor Training Missions With Cheat Codes. This is how Tony throws down with his supposed arch-enemy Justin Hammer? A whole lotta paint-by-numbers one-round fights with rando armoured types, one after another, like he was performing story missions on easy mode with a checklist handed to him by Pepper Potts?
At least the 80s silliness was on full display to keep us entertained - from barely-contained-for-Comics-Code one-night stands to Tony’s perms-wave hair, his mid-day tennis matches to “blow off stress” (I swear I wish that was a euphemism) and the incredibly repetitive expo-dumps that I swear are only there to fill page quotas.
Armor Wars has successfully aged out of any glory it once reigned. Just as forgettable as Stilt Man (and like this, how he was ever a credible villain I’ll never understand).
Armor Wars is a whole lot more like Armor Training Missions With Cheat Codes. This is how Tony throws down with his supposed arch-enemy Justin Hammer? A whole lotta paint-by-numbers one-round fights with rando armoured types, one after another, like he was performing story missions on easy mode with a checklist handed to him by Pepper Potts?
At least the 80s silliness was on full display to keep us entertained - from barely-contained-for-Comics-Code one-night stands to Tony’s perms-wave hair, his mid-day tennis matches to “blow off stress” (I swear I wish that was a euphemism) and the incredibly repetitive expo-dumps that I swear are only there to fill page quotas.
Armor Wars has successfully aged out of any glory it once reigned. Just as forgettable as Stilt Man (and like this, how he was ever a credible villain I’ll never understand).
January 30, 2022
Thoroughly unnecessary purchase. I remember this story when it was originally released and I had no interest in it then. Now it comes packaged in this pretty collection and Tony Stark is way more interesting than I ever found him in the 80s and I picked this up cheaply from eBay. The story is perfectly fine but it's dreadfully wordy with excessive and repetitive exposition. 1980s Iron Man is about as rubbish as I remember, as he has to remember to seal off his eye holes before going underwater. It's so analog.
Tony Stark's killer-combo blue-black mullet/perm is more terrifying than any of the villains he faces in his suit. He gets fired from the West Coast Avengers which is the very definition of low stakes.
None of it has aged well. At one point Iron Man is removed as the spokesperson for Stark Enterprise and the PR lady suggests replacing him with Bill Cosby! And don't forget Stilt-Man. Wow.
There's a reason no one took Iron Man seriously before Jon Favreau and RDJ stepped up and this is it.
Tony Stark's killer-combo blue-black mullet/perm is more terrifying than any of the villains he faces in his suit. He gets fired from the West Coast Avengers which is the very definition of low stakes.
None of it has aged well. At one point Iron Man is removed as the spokesperson for Stark Enterprise and the PR lady suggests replacing him with Bill Cosby! And don't forget Stilt-Man. Wow.
There's a reason no one took Iron Man seriously before Jon Favreau and RDJ stepped up and this is it.
February 12, 2021
Whenever anyone criticizes the 80s, show'em the page where Tony Stark goes to the hairdresser and gets a mullet perm and just say, "checkmate."
I always thought Iron Man should be written as one of the few, clear Republican superheroes. (Back when Republicanism was more like "hey, we don't like unions" and less like "hey, Jewish space lasers stole the election.") He's super-Republican here. This is so Reagan 80s, I'm surprised it doesn't end with Tony getting back his armor tech from the government by offering them software that makes air-traffic controllers obsolete.
I always thought Iron Man should be written as one of the few, clear Republican superheroes. (Back when Republicanism was more like "hey, we don't like unions" and less like "hey, Jewish space lasers stole the election.") He's super-Republican here. This is so Reagan 80s, I'm surprised it doesn't end with Tony getting back his armor tech from the government by offering them software that makes air-traffic controllers obsolete.
March 4, 2009
when i was a kid i liked the idea of iron man taking his technology back from all the various armored peole in the marvel universe, but this thing didnt really withstand the test of time....
December 16, 2015
This was good back in the day, as it was a product of its era, but I find that it did not age well. Still, as Iron Man storylines go, this was (and probably still is) one of the better ones.
February 24, 2018
Te das cuenta enseguida de que esto se dibujó en los ochenta por:
-La permanente tan hortera que luce el pobre Tony.
-Esas horribles moquetas en todos los despachos y habitaciones. ¡Muerte a la moqueta!
Armor Wars es una de las sagas del héroe de hierro que son consideradas como imprescindibles para los lectores y fans del personaje. En su momento Iron Man no gozaba de demasiado éxito entre el público de Marvel y gracias a historias como esta consiguieron hacer subir como la espuma la popularidad y las ventas de las aventuras de Tony Stark, millonario, playboy, filántropo.
En esta entrega, Tony descubre que su tecnología ha sido robada y que su enemigo Justin Hammer la ha vendido al mejor postor, propiciando que diversos villanos que utilizan armaduras blindadas han cometido crímenes con ella. Sintiéndose indirectamente culpable, Tony emprende una vendetta con el objetivo de destruir todas las armaduras que utilicen componentes que él ha fabricado... solo que no se detendrá cuando haya terminado con todos los villanos.
Aunque obviamente hoy en día es un cómic que se ve muy anticuado, especialmente en el dibujo, y que hay capítulos que son bastante meh con Tony enfrentándose a enemigos tan memorables como Zancudo o Manta Raya, al final me encontré realmente enfrascada en la lectura porque ofrece lo que es la pura esencia de Tony Stark. ¿Egomaníaco? ¿Jamás se responsabiliza de sus errores? ¿Solo piensa en sí mismo? Todo lo contrario; Tony cree que por su culpa gente inocente ha sido herida o peor y decide hacer algo al respecto. Solo que se ciega tanto en su intención de corregir todos sus errores que acaba cegándose hasta tal punto que la caga todavía más. En este caso, va a por aliados que poco tienen que ver con las actividades criminales de Hammer y quiere destruir tecnología que realmente sería beneficiosa para el público general si se le da un buen uso. Además, también propio de Stark, se empeña en hacerlo todo solo, sin aceptar ayuda (salvo la de Rhodey, que es el mejor amigo del mundo), desoyendo consejos y alejando a sus amigos.
Mi capítulo favorito es, por supuesto, el que enfrenta a Iron Man y a Capitán América, porque resume muy bien hasta dónde es capaz de llegar Tony para ahogar un sentimiento de culpa por algo que ni siquiera es realmente responsabilidad suya. Cómo arriesga su amistad con Steve, algo que valora por encima de la mayoría de las cosas, convencido de que en el fondo se merece quedarse solo si ese es el precio por combatir sus propios demonios. Oh, Tony.
También me gustó mucho el final: Tony está decidido a deshacerse de las armaduras para siempre, a sabiendas de que esa es la única manera de arrancar el problema de raíz. En el último momento, pero, se da cuenta de que eso también es una irresponsabilidad, porque si aparece otro enemigo y él necesita estar equipado para hacerle frente, no hacerlo también sería peligroso. Así que está condenado a repetir el círculo y a vivir torturado hasta el final de sus días, porque así es Tony Stark.
¿He dicho ya que quiero a Tony Stark y que digan lo que digan sus detractores sigue siendo uno de los superhéroes más humanos y complejos?
Aunque en conjunto es una historia bastante simplona y que ese empeño por explicarlo todo en texto en vez de dejar que el lector se deje guiar por lo visual es un poco molesta, Armor Wars es una saga bastante interesante que ayuda a conocer mejor al hombre que se oculta tras la armadura.
-La permanente tan hortera que luce el pobre Tony.
-Esas horribles moquetas en todos los despachos y habitaciones. ¡Muerte a la moqueta!
Armor Wars es una de las sagas del héroe de hierro que son consideradas como imprescindibles para los lectores y fans del personaje. En su momento Iron Man no gozaba de demasiado éxito entre el público de Marvel y gracias a historias como esta consiguieron hacer subir como la espuma la popularidad y las ventas de las aventuras de Tony Stark, millonario, playboy, filántropo.
En esta entrega, Tony descubre que su tecnología ha sido robada y que su enemigo Justin Hammer la ha vendido al mejor postor, propiciando que diversos villanos que utilizan armaduras blindadas han cometido crímenes con ella. Sintiéndose indirectamente culpable, Tony emprende una vendetta con el objetivo de destruir todas las armaduras que utilicen componentes que él ha fabricado... solo que no se detendrá cuando haya terminado con todos los villanos.
Aunque obviamente hoy en día es un cómic que se ve muy anticuado, especialmente en el dibujo, y que hay capítulos que son bastante meh con Tony enfrentándose a enemigos tan memorables como Zancudo o Manta Raya, al final me encontré realmente enfrascada en la lectura porque ofrece lo que es la pura esencia de Tony Stark. ¿Egomaníaco? ¿Jamás se responsabiliza de sus errores? ¿Solo piensa en sí mismo? Todo lo contrario; Tony cree que por su culpa gente inocente ha sido herida o peor y decide hacer algo al respecto. Solo que se ciega tanto en su intención de corregir todos sus errores que acaba cegándose hasta tal punto que la caga todavía más. En este caso, va a por aliados que poco tienen que ver con las actividades criminales de Hammer y quiere destruir tecnología que realmente sería beneficiosa para el público general si se le da un buen uso. Además, también propio de Stark, se empeña en hacerlo todo solo, sin aceptar ayuda (salvo la de Rhodey, que es el mejor amigo del mundo), desoyendo consejos y alejando a sus amigos.
Mi capítulo favorito es, por supuesto, el que enfrenta a Iron Man y a Capitán América, porque resume muy bien hasta dónde es capaz de llegar Tony para ahogar un sentimiento de culpa por algo que ni siquiera es realmente responsabilidad suya. Cómo arriesga su amistad con Steve, algo que valora por encima de la mayoría de las cosas, convencido de que en el fondo se merece quedarse solo si ese es el precio por combatir sus propios demonios. Oh, Tony.
También me gustó mucho el final: Tony está decidido a deshacerse de las armaduras para siempre, a sabiendas de que esa es la única manera de arrancar el problema de raíz. En el último momento, pero, se da cuenta de que eso también es una irresponsabilidad, porque si aparece otro enemigo y él necesita estar equipado para hacerle frente, no hacerlo también sería peligroso. Así que está condenado a repetir el círculo y a vivir torturado hasta el final de sus días, porque así es Tony Stark.
¿He dicho ya que quiero a Tony Stark y que digan lo que digan sus detractores sigue siendo uno de los superhéroes más humanos y complejos?
Aunque en conjunto es una historia bastante simplona y que ese empeño por explicarlo todo en texto en vez de dejar que el lector se deje guiar por lo visual es un poco molesta, Armor Wars es una saga bastante interesante que ayuda a conocer mejor al hombre que se oculta tras la armadura.
October 5, 2024
A classic run. Solid. Done according to the rules of the time and still holds up - even if the haircuts of the time sting the eyes. A good read to remind us that Tony also had a conscience a long time ago, even if he's still an arrogant prick.
Superb final issue illustrated by the master Barry Windsor-Smith
Superb final issue illustrated by the master Barry Windsor-Smith
January 19, 2025
This is dull and ponderous, and belabours the promising central concept, apparently counting on the novelty of the collect-them-all quest for other armoured characters to carry interest, but proceeds to do nothing interesting with the idea.
Barry Windsor Smith's "epilogue" -- more of a vaguely related mood piece -- is cracking, and raises this from a 2 to a 3.
Barry Windsor Smith's "epilogue" -- more of a vaguely related mood piece -- is cracking, and raises this from a 2 to a 3.
April 9, 2013
Armor Wars is a book that left me with mixed feelings. On one hand, the writing is usually good with plenty of twists and lots of action. The plot simply put is that Tony Stark realizes his arm specs have been stolen. Driven by guilt, he decides to reclaim his stolen technology. Good as far as it goes when taking on bad guys such as the Stiltman and the Controller. It begins far more problematic when Stark decides that he's going to take on armor that Stark has sold legitimately to the government. Along the way, he loses his longtime friendship with Steve Rogers and then is kicked out of the Avengers. He doublecrosses S.H.I.E.L.D.
Good times.
The story line is without a doubt revolutionary within the Marvel world. It makes Iron Man's role in Civil War seems to believable. Would Tony Stark choose to betray and even imprison friends and allies who risked his life for him and fought by his side due to his own subjective view of what's appropriate.
Been there,done that, we'll do it on a higher scale. With this story, it sets a new direction and a new definition for the Iron Man character. The problem is that as well-written as it is, it turns Iron Man into someone that's hard to cheer for.
In the beginning, Tony Stark was a patriotic weapons manufacturer who escaped the Vietcong and regularly came close to death's door as he fought evil even though he constantly risked death due to his damaged heart. By the end Tony Stark fights on because of guilt. He is great mind that is driven by reasoning that's often arbitrary and based on his own whims rather than any objective sense of morality. Tony Stark makes his own rules and with power like his, that makes him a dangerous man.
While the writing and art were good, it should be noted that they aren't perfect. In the 1990s animated adaptation of the series, Jim Rhodes sees how dangerous Stark's actions are and tries to stop them. Here, despite having spent two years in the 1980s as Iron Man, he's merely a passive assistant in this obviously mad quest.
The story had its fair share of improbabilities including a convenient supply of whole blood on an airplane. Then we learn in the second to last issue that the U.S. Government developed a giant robot with a built in Nuke, not for taking on rogue superheroes, but for handling riots by outraged citizens. This may have been probable for the writers as the story was written in the tale end of the Reagan years and the government is always 50% more evil during Republican administrations, it seems just silly.
Silly or not, the story is a well-told tale that makes key changes to a significant character in the Marvel Universe. However, we're reminded that change isn't always for the better
Good times.
The story line is without a doubt revolutionary within the Marvel world. It makes Iron Man's role in Civil War seems to believable. Would Tony Stark choose to betray and even imprison friends and allies who risked his life for him and fought by his side due to his own subjective view of what's appropriate.
Been there,done that, we'll do it on a higher scale. With this story, it sets a new direction and a new definition for the Iron Man character. The problem is that as well-written as it is, it turns Iron Man into someone that's hard to cheer for.
In the beginning, Tony Stark was a patriotic weapons manufacturer who escaped the Vietcong and regularly came close to death's door as he fought evil even though he constantly risked death due to his damaged heart. By the end Tony Stark fights on because of guilt. He is great mind that is driven by reasoning that's often arbitrary and based on his own whims rather than any objective sense of morality. Tony Stark makes his own rules and with power like his, that makes him a dangerous man.
While the writing and art were good, it should be noted that they aren't perfect. In the 1990s animated adaptation of the series, Jim Rhodes sees how dangerous Stark's actions are and tries to stop them. Here, despite having spent two years in the 1980s as Iron Man, he's merely a passive assistant in this obviously mad quest.
The story had its fair share of improbabilities including a convenient supply of whole blood on an airplane. Then we learn in the second to last issue that the U.S. Government developed a giant robot with a built in Nuke, not for taking on rogue superheroes, but for handling riots by outraged citizens. This may have been probable for the writers as the story was written in the tale end of the Reagan years and the government is always 50% more evil during Republican administrations, it seems just silly.
Silly or not, the story is a well-told tale that makes key changes to a significant character in the Marvel Universe. However, we're reminded that change isn't always for the better
September 28, 2017
Tony Stark è un supermiliardario produttore di armi, ma anche un supereroe. La guerra delle armature vede collidere i due aspetti, con tutto quello che ne consegue. Una corsa di Stark a rimediare ai danni terribili che possono produrre le sue fantastiche invenzioni, andando contro la sua immagine pubblica e le sue amicizie supereroistiche. La storia è bella, solida, si sviluppa coerentemente, ma mostra tutti i suoi anni: un po' troppe didascalie a confronto dei fumetti che si leggono ora, un po' troppi spiegoni, praticamente ripetuti a ogni numero. I disegni sono i classici che ci aspetteremmo dalla quadricromia degli anni 80, sembra tutto stilizzato e reso meno naturale. I busti fanno assomigliare i personaggi a tanti piccoli Big Jim, e le capigliature plasticose non aiutano molto. Storia finale onirica per le chine di Windsor Smith: se cambia qualcosa dal versante grafico, il risultato è tutt'altro che leggibile o avvincente.
March 25, 2019
I think the story was quite good overall I enjoyed the book a lot. But it definitely proofs again, that these older comics feel a bit dated nowadays. The fight scenes are way too wordy, with every move explained in text and also the exposition at the beginning of almost all issues about the story so far can get exhausting. How often does Tony want to explain to Rhodey what has happened even that he'd been there anyway?
On the upside, I just loved the last chapter (epilogue). This was so different (and creepy) and felt like it could have been an issue of the new millennium.
On the upside, I just loved the last chapter (epilogue). This was so different (and creepy) and felt like it could have been an issue of the new millennium.
January 22, 2020
Reprints Iron Man (1) #225-232 (December 1987-July 1988). Tony Stark has just discovered that his inventions have led to the creation of horror that have hurt people all over the world. His technology has been hacked and used to build armor like the Beetle, Titanium Man, and other villains. Unfortunately, Tony’s technology has also been used to build technology used by S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Vault to protect people. Tony realizes that he cannot pick and choose who uses his armor and that to stop the pain it is inflicting, Iron Man must go to war!
Written by David Michelinie, Bob Layton, and Barry Windsor-Smith, Iron Man: Armor Wars is a Marvel Comics superhero collection. The “Stark Wars” series follows the Iron Man: Armor Wars Prologue collection, and features art by Mark D. Bright and Barry Windsor-Smith. The story has been reprinted multiple times and was also included in the Iron Man Epic Collection Volume 13: Stark Wars.
I have never been that big of fan of Iron Man. Tech-based heroes seem like the laziest heroes, and try as they might, Tony Stark’s attitude always kind of bothered me. Iron Man: Armor Wars is a big storyline and once again tries to redeem Tony Stark.
The story is about the sins of Tony’s actions. Tony has created (and sold) tech all over the world. The Iron Man armor is “special”, but the tech in it has made heroes and villains. Tony realizes this and tries to clean up his mess. This is part of the problem I have with Iron Man. He’s smart and the man wearing the armor suit does make the hero, but anyone can wear a suit. Like with the War-Monger armor, a bigger, badder suit of armor is used against Tony…but Tony outsmarts the wearer (like always). It doesn’t feel very compelling to me.
Despite my lack of interest in Iron Man, it is nice to go back and read this period of his comic. I started reading comics regularly around this time and the characters and storylines in Iron Man intertwine with comics I was reading like West Coast Avengers and Captain America. The style and writing of comics from this period is vastly different from comics of today, and it is a nice and refreshing return to some simplicity and expanded characterization that I feel that is missing.
The interesting “stand-alone” issue by Barry Windsor-Smith is more representative of today’s comics. While it tries to get into the psychology of being Iron Man, it is built more on the visuals and is light in text. I wish BWS had done the whole collection because I like his art, but the story kind of reflects my problems with many modern comics…it is a core concept as a base, but a lack of substance to build on the base and which does not give a character that the reader cares about.
If you are a fan of Iron Man, Iron Man: Armor Wars is one of the must read titles of Iron Man’s run, but if you are a fair-weather Iron Man fan like myself, it feels like typical Iron Man. Tony even realizes that his efforts are in vain in the collection and that Pandora’s box has been opened…the tech he’s invented has hurt and cannot be undone. Iron Man will live on (which is an interesting idea in modern society where many continue to wish for less tech and its invasive nature). Iron Man: Armor Wars was followed by Iron Man Epic Collection 14: The Return of the Ghost.
Written by David Michelinie, Bob Layton, and Barry Windsor-Smith, Iron Man: Armor Wars is a Marvel Comics superhero collection. The “Stark Wars” series follows the Iron Man: Armor Wars Prologue collection, and features art by Mark D. Bright and Barry Windsor-Smith. The story has been reprinted multiple times and was also included in the Iron Man Epic Collection Volume 13: Stark Wars.
I have never been that big of fan of Iron Man. Tech-based heroes seem like the laziest heroes, and try as they might, Tony Stark’s attitude always kind of bothered me. Iron Man: Armor Wars is a big storyline and once again tries to redeem Tony Stark.
The story is about the sins of Tony’s actions. Tony has created (and sold) tech all over the world. The Iron Man armor is “special”, but the tech in it has made heroes and villains. Tony realizes this and tries to clean up his mess. This is part of the problem I have with Iron Man. He’s smart and the man wearing the armor suit does make the hero, but anyone can wear a suit. Like with the War-Monger armor, a bigger, badder suit of armor is used against Tony…but Tony outsmarts the wearer (like always). It doesn’t feel very compelling to me.
Despite my lack of interest in Iron Man, it is nice to go back and read this period of his comic. I started reading comics regularly around this time and the characters and storylines in Iron Man intertwine with comics I was reading like West Coast Avengers and Captain America. The style and writing of comics from this period is vastly different from comics of today, and it is a nice and refreshing return to some simplicity and expanded characterization that I feel that is missing.
The interesting “stand-alone” issue by Barry Windsor-Smith is more representative of today’s comics. While it tries to get into the psychology of being Iron Man, it is built more on the visuals and is light in text. I wish BWS had done the whole collection because I like his art, but the story kind of reflects my problems with many modern comics…it is a core concept as a base, but a lack of substance to build on the base and which does not give a character that the reader cares about.
If you are a fan of Iron Man, Iron Man: Armor Wars is one of the must read titles of Iron Man’s run, but if you are a fair-weather Iron Man fan like myself, it feels like typical Iron Man. Tony even realizes that his efforts are in vain in the collection and that Pandora’s box has been opened…the tech he’s invented has hurt and cannot be undone. Iron Man will live on (which is an interesting idea in modern society where many continue to wish for less tech and its invasive nature). Iron Man: Armor Wars was followed by Iron Man Epic Collection 14: The Return of the Ghost.
April 6, 2025
I found Armor Wars to be a pretty middling volume. It doesn't particularly stand out, but it's far from offensive, and it was among the better stories told in the Iron Man mythos to this point in the late 80s.
The underlying conflict of the book is Tony Stark's realization that the secret technologies behind the Iron Man suit have been stolen and proliferated elsewhere. This creates a crisis of conscience and sends Stark on an increasingly desperate mission to eliminate any trace of said stolen technology.
Writer David Michelinie does a good job of portraying Tony Stark as a man who is ultimately good and is prone to heroic deeds, but who also keeps his own priorities at the fore. Whether it's hunting down other heroes for questioning, refusing the requests of his fellow Avengers, or his pursuit of women purely to sate his need for temporary distraction, everything is about Tony.
Stark's willingness, if not his need, to play the hero while still exhibiting these self-centered traits makes him a compelling character, even if Michelinie's dialogue in Armor Wars is rather plain. The same could be same for the vast majority of the art, as it gets the job done but is generally unremarkable.
I think Armor Wars also suffers a bit from the lack of a compelling overarching villain. initially appears to be in the role, but he makes just one meaningful appearance and is otherwise kept to a few scarce mentions while he remains missing. likely counts as the volueme's most significant opponent, but it's probably more accurate to say that Armor Wars sees Tony Stark facing down the consequences of his own creations and reckoning with that, as much as with any villainous figure.
All told, Armor Wars isn't a perfect effort, nor is it even great. But for those looking to read some Iron Man works from this time period, Armor Wars makes for a fine choice.
The underlying conflict of the book is Tony Stark's realization that the secret technologies behind the Iron Man suit have been stolen and proliferated elsewhere. This creates a crisis of conscience and sends Stark on an increasingly desperate mission to eliminate any trace of said stolen technology.
Writer David Michelinie does a good job of portraying Tony Stark as a man who is ultimately good and is prone to heroic deeds, but who also keeps his own priorities at the fore. Whether it's hunting down other heroes for questioning, refusing the requests of his fellow Avengers, or his pursuit of women purely to sate his need for temporary distraction, everything is about Tony.
Stark's willingness, if not his need, to play the hero while still exhibiting these self-centered traits makes him a compelling character, even if Michelinie's dialogue in Armor Wars is rather plain. The same could be same for the vast majority of the art, as it gets the job done but is generally unremarkable.
I think Armor Wars also suffers a bit from the lack of a compelling overarching villain. initially appears to be in the role, but he makes just one meaningful appearance and is otherwise kept to a few scarce mentions while he remains missing. likely counts as the volueme's most significant opponent, but it's probably more accurate to say that Armor Wars sees Tony Stark facing down the consequences of his own creations and reckoning with that, as much as with any villainous figure.
All told, Armor Wars isn't a perfect effort, nor is it even great. But for those looking to read some Iron Man works from this time period, Armor Wars makes for a fine choice.
September 11, 2019
Un comic decente con una estética bastante bonita.
Es una historia de esas ambientadas en Villadoom. El universo se rompe en pedazos y bla, bla, bla. Bueno, pues esta historia está ambientada en un universo alternativo en el que el mundo está dividido en ¿ciudades? Y dentro de una de esas ciudades todo el mundo vive en armaduras de Industrias Stark por culpa de un virus. Alguien mata a Spiderman y esa es la excusa para ir tirando millas, buscar al asesino de Spiderman.
El guión no está mal para ser Marvel, incluso diría que está por encima de la media. Aunque si lo comparamos con The Authority o Astro City queda a la altura del betún. Si no eres muy exigente no molesta. Pero poco más.
En cuanto al dibujo tiene unas cosas buenas y otras malas. La narrativa visual es fantástica y el paisaje y los fondos acompañan perfectamente la historia. Incluso, no siendo detallistas, resultan edificios y fondos muy dinámicos, con mucho ambiente. Lo malo es que las emociones de los personajes se perdieron en el monte. Vale con las armaduras, pero los que llevan la cara descubierta no son expresivos y tampoco mucho en las posturas.
Lo peor de todo es que no estoy leyendo Authority porque espero el momento de saborearlos y me voy contentando con cómics como este que, si bien no están mal, son cómics que no me dicen nada.
¿Recomendable? ¿Fan de Iron Man? ¿Te gustan las cosas weird de Secret Wars? Pues entonces sí. El resto... si no tienes otra cosa, y el dibujo no está mal...
Es una historia de esas ambientadas en Villadoom. El universo se rompe en pedazos y bla, bla, bla. Bueno, pues esta historia está ambientada en un universo alternativo en el que el mundo está dividido en ¿ciudades? Y dentro de una de esas ciudades todo el mundo vive en armaduras de Industrias Stark por culpa de un virus. Alguien mata a Spiderman y esa es la excusa para ir tirando millas, buscar al asesino de Spiderman.
El guión no está mal para ser Marvel, incluso diría que está por encima de la media. Aunque si lo comparamos con The Authority o Astro City queda a la altura del betún. Si no eres muy exigente no molesta. Pero poco más.
En cuanto al dibujo tiene unas cosas buenas y otras malas. La narrativa visual es fantástica y el paisaje y los fondos acompañan perfectamente la historia. Incluso, no siendo detallistas, resultan edificios y fondos muy dinámicos, con mucho ambiente. Lo malo es que las emociones de los personajes se perdieron en el monte. Vale con las armaduras, pero los que llevan la cara descubierta no son expresivos y tampoco mucho en las posturas.
Lo peor de todo es que no estoy leyendo Authority porque espero el momento de saborearlos y me voy contentando con cómics como este que, si bien no están mal, son cómics que no me dicen nada.
¿Recomendable? ¿Fan de Iron Man? ¿Te gustan las cosas weird de Secret Wars? Pues entonces sí. El resto... si no tienes otra cosa, y el dibujo no está mal...
August 10, 2021
I enjoy this story arc for the art and the action. Also, Tony Stark's motivation (destroying armored supervillains who are using technology stolen Iron Man technology) makes him a very interesting protagonist.
The minor flaw is too many meaningless shout-outs to then-current pop culture icons. I don't mind them because they date the story, but because even in 1988 they were silly and awkward.
The major flaw is having Tony's obsession with recovering his technology driving him to attack good guys as well as bad guys. His thought is "It still might be used for evil one day," but this is a weak motivation. He's risking innocent lives by attacking innocent people, however determined he is to use non-lethal methods. The fact that the Russian supervillain Titanium Man is accidentally killed while fighting Iron Man is proof of this.
But even so, he fights against Stingray and the Guardsmen at the Vault (the prison for supervillains) are pretty cool in of themselves, especially non-powered Jim Rhodes taking out a Guardsman on his own.
The minor flaw is too many meaningless shout-outs to then-current pop culture icons. I don't mind them because they date the story, but because even in 1988 they were silly and awkward.
The major flaw is having Tony's obsession with recovering his technology driving him to attack good guys as well as bad guys. His thought is "It still might be used for evil one day," but this is a weak motivation. He's risking innocent lives by attacking innocent people, however determined he is to use non-lethal methods. The fact that the Russian supervillain Titanium Man is accidentally killed while fighting Iron Man is proof of this.
But even so, he fights against Stingray and the Guardsmen at the Vault (the prison for supervillains) are pretty cool in of themselves, especially non-powered Jim Rhodes taking out a Guardsman on his own.
April 4, 2021
There's probably no greater proof my taste has changed than the fact that I could barely finish this one this time around, after it being an iconic Iron Man story in my eyes.
It's iconically bad, as things turn out. the dialogue is horrendously overwritten and overly dramatic and the side characters, especially Rhodey, really suffer for it. The entire premise doesn't hold up if you think about it for more than two seconds--I'm good at suspending disbelief but this is beyond the pale--and reminding readers the true cost of living in a world of superheroes is never, ever a good idea, unless you're doing that as your primary point.
MD Bright and Bob Layton do okay with the art, but boy is there a lot of staring out at the reader, angsting.
The only "war" here is really about how serious comics should be, and this was an attempt to darken Iron Man that failed miserably.
It's iconically bad, as things turn out. the dialogue is horrendously overwritten and overly dramatic and the side characters, especially Rhodey, really suffer for it. The entire premise doesn't hold up if you think about it for more than two seconds--I'm good at suspending disbelief but this is beyond the pale--and reminding readers the true cost of living in a world of superheroes is never, ever a good idea, unless you're doing that as your primary point.
MD Bright and Bob Layton do okay with the art, but boy is there a lot of staring out at the reader, angsting.
The only "war" here is really about how serious comics should be, and this was an attempt to darken Iron Man that failed miserably.
March 28, 2023
Actual rating 3.7 stars.
This is the first big story line I’ve read for Iron Man since Demon in a Bottle.
While there was definitely more fighting, I liked that there was still some focus on how this mission affected Tony emotionally.
Also, I enjoyed that Steve was mixed into this however, I don’t think we needed the same conversation in three different issues.
Speaking of, the West Coast Avengers and Tony’s appearance in that one ish seemed very random to me.
I wonder when Tony carved out the time to stand alone on a cliff side…
Then again, he was still making time for a social life with the ladies.
Another issue I have is when Tony went after Stingray.
There was talk of a detection device before AND after that issue but Tony couldn’t use it when he was calmly asking Walter for his suit?
Not specific to this story line but just curious that Rhodey has been downgraded to just being Tony’s chauffeur… I mean, pilot again.
Anyway, I liked the look of the new armour.
Back to the classic red and gold plus no weird shoulder-pad things.
I want to keep more up to date with this series. It’s gotten better than the last few issues I’d read.
This is the first big story line I’ve read for Iron Man since Demon in a Bottle.
While there was definitely more fighting, I liked that there was still some focus on how this mission affected Tony emotionally.
Also, I enjoyed that Steve was mixed into this however, I don’t think we needed the same conversation in three different issues.
Speaking of, the West Coast Avengers and Tony’s appearance in that one ish seemed very random to me.
I wonder when Tony carved out the time to stand alone on a cliff side…
Then again, he was still making time for a social life with the ladies.
Another issue I have is when Tony went after Stingray.
There was talk of a detection device before AND after that issue but Tony couldn’t use it when he was calmly asking Walter for his suit?
Not specific to this story line but just curious that Rhodey has been downgraded to just being Tony’s chauffeur… I mean, pilot again.
Anyway, I liked the look of the new armour.
Back to the classic red and gold plus no weird shoulder-pad things.
I want to keep more up to date with this series. It’s gotten better than the last few issues I’d read.
September 7, 2023
Me ha sorprendido muy gratamente éste cómic. No me atrae mucho el personaje de Iron Man, pero aquí Michelinie y Layton le ponen en un brete que le lleva a tomar decisiones nada habituales en un superhéroe Marvel. 'El demonio en la botella', por ejemplo, planteaba cosas interesantes a nivel de la psicología del personaje, pero no llegaba a explotarlas. En este caso, tenemos a un Tony Stark que roba, ataca a agentes gubernamentales y llega a matar, por mucho que los autores quieran endulzarlo. Su carga de conciencia hace que se salte cualquier código moral que pudiese tener, y eso es muy refrescante en un cómic pijamero (especialmente de esa época). El cómic mola mucho también porque incluye la transición entre la armadura plateada, que me flipa a nivel cromático y es mi favorita, y la dorada definitiva. El dibujo en general es una maravilla dentro de los cánones clásicos del género.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews